Chapter 117
Daniel POV
When I heard how oddly calm Charlie’s description of the vampires was, my blood ran cold with terror, and something I had seen but not considered important, until it clicked in my head, occurred to me. All the vampires I had seen had been bitten, not born, former humans who had been affected by the toxins present in all pure vampires. Hyacinth had finished whatever spell she put on Lander, and Kasa had returned with Eric, but we only had moments until they reached us.
“Hyacinth, all the vampires, they were bitten, not born,” I stated pointedly.
“Your point?” Eric interrupted as Hyacinth absorbed what I had said.
“That could be important,” Hyacinth interjected before I could snap, Eric pushing my buttons with so much else going on was not going to end well. “Before the attack, I was doing research, gathering as much as I could find on vampires. If the stories were to be believed, they suggested that bitten vampires, drink blood, but not their born counterparts, also bitten vampires are little more than animals, their higher reasoning destroyed by the toxin, before it eventually kills the body after a few years. Whereas born vampires can live for hundreds of years, potentially thousands, they don’t age like every other species, because they consume, the literal translation is all that you are, whatever that means.” She said with a sigh.
“Wait, if they eat people, why are they trying to kill them all?” Eric asked, it made me scowl, despite the fact it was a good point.
“I don’t know, maybe they’ve accounted for... the Lycans!” She suddenly said as her face dropped.
“What about us?” Kasa asked.
“We thought they were destabilising the packs, so you’d be bickering amongst yourselves, but we were wrong. I think they were planning on keeping your packs around, like cattle farms, and the Alphas of their choice would be the ranchers, picking who gets to breed, who gets slaughtered.” Hyacinth whispered solemnly; it made all three of us Alphas gasp in horror.
“No, no, no, you said they eat humans, not us.” Eric cried as he backed away from us.
“I said they consume, all that you are, there was no specification of species when it comes to the born vampires, the bitten drink mostly human blood, probably because they’re the easiest prey, but they will all die out in a few years anyway. The only sustainable food source they will be worried about is for the born, the ones who will be able to survive no matter the state of the planet. It is well known that Lycans are highly adaptive to their surroundings, have stronger immune systems, and can live off a varied diet. The perfect cattle, if they could be controlled, the way an Alpha can control.” Hyacinth explained it was enough to convince Kasa and me that she was right.
“Alright if you have all the answers, why are they attacking us here, now?” Eric demanded, but he was smirking like he was enjoying himself.
“We are all that stands in their way, if they get rid of us, what’s stopping them from taking your packs? Daniel is the only one with an heir not in the hands of the enemy, the other packs could wage war on Ben and split the lands and people between them!” Hyacinth argued, it was clear she was getting irritated with the arrogant Alpha. “Then they would have a foothold, no one to warn the other packs, and no witches or anyone else to help those that survive.” She said to me and Kasa, her logic made sense to us. We heard an almighty bang, then snarling, and growling, before a crashing noise, and a flash of green lit up the sky that disrupted our discussion. We all rushed to the windows, frantic to know what had happened. There were hundreds of the creatures, clawing and charging at the barrier around Hyacinth's House.
“One day you’re going to have to explain how these work,” Kasa said absentmindedly, as he mused on the applications for magical barriers.
“Oh, thank heaven it worked!” Hyacinth exclaimed, ignoring Kasa and focusing on the green glow beyond the drive.
“What worked?” I asked, I needed one thing to focus on so I could come up with a plan of attack.
“I had a failsafe protection barrier, it covers most of the village, not us, unfortunately, but I’m hoping that it will make everyone else... not worth attacking.” She said quietly.
“How long have you known something like this could happen?” Eric asked, ever paranoid.
“It was a last resort if we were attacked, by anyone.” Hyacinth snapped; her tone let us all know she was in no mood to be questioned. “We need to focus on what we do once they get in, the barrier around my house is stronger than the one I had covering the village. It's smaller, so it doesn’t take as much energy to maintain, but after using so much of my essence earlier, trying to keep the vampires out, I won’t be able to withhold the same level of attack for too long.” Hyacinth warned us.
“Can you estimate a time frame?” Kasa asked, concerned.
“Maybe an hour?” She shrugged, unsure.
“Alright, so how do we kill them? Is there a spell? Or any weaknesses we could exploit?” I asked her, as Eric snickered, and took a chair at the table. “What exactly about this, do you find funny?” I growled; I was starting to lose my cool with the irritating Alpha.
“Well, you’re always hilarious, but the fact that you think you’re getting out of this alive is particularly entertaining to me at this exact moment.” Eric jeered.
“So, you think you won’t?” I asked with the same tone.
“Oh, I know I will, but you won’t, so why should I fight for a losing side?” Eric asked, he was still smirking, which pissed me off.
“Because there’s no one out there to bargain with!” I screamed at him. “Hyacinth just said, bitten vampires are little more than animals, so who is going to listen to you when you say you’re switching sides? Those things can’t take you to their superior! I doubt they could form a sentence! They will try and kill you because you are in their way.” I laid it out for him as I got in his face.
“Then why attack here? Why not go on a rampage across Ireland? Now, that would be interesting!” Eric laughed, I saw Kasa about to admonish his brother-in-law when I interrupted.
“He's right, there has to be somebody nearby, who can control them?” I looked to Hyacinth, hoping she had found something that could explain this to us.
“There was something, but I dismissed it, as it was only mentioned once and in a rare and obscure text but, there was something about a bond, between the one who had been bitten and the biter. The text was referring to some of the myths surrounding vampires in human folklore, where it came from, and its real-life comparisons.” Hyacinth said as if that explained everything.
“So... the vampire that bit people to make those things, could be somewhere close by, keeping them contained to the town?” I asked as I tried to follow the logic.
“Or vampires, I doubt one could bite so many people without it being noticed by someone.” Hyacinth nodded her agreement.
“So, what would happen if we managed to get to those vampires and killed them?” I asked, I was hoping for a simple solution.
“I don’t know, there just isn’t enough information out there.” Hyacinth huffed.
“Could it kill them?” I pressed, as I prayed to the goddess, for hope.
“It's possible, but it's just as possible you will have unleashed hundreds of uncontrollable monsters on a country that is not your home! It’s just as possible, that by killing the ones in control, the creatures will spread to the human towns and cities, with nothing but their hunger driving them.” Hyacinth argued back.
“Then what do you suggest?” I asked, my patience was rapidly evaporating.
“Just give me a minute to think, and I will come up with a plan, but flying off the handle and doing something without knowing the ramifications is not a plan, so I suggest we all try and find a way out of this!” Hyacinth warned me, looking more grandmotherly with her newly white hair. “I need to get my books.” She frowned as she dashed out of the room and left the rest of us without another word.
“Even if there are other vampires out there, why would they pick you over whoever they have lined up to be Alpha of your pack?” I questioned Eric, I was hoping to convince him to fight with us.
“Because I killed him, and have been receiving his emails ever since, insisting that I’m paranoid, and listening in on calls. It’s been very exciting, like my very own spy adventure.” Eric smirked, which enraged me.
“Landers was right, you were watching his son being beaten?” I accused; I turned so I could watch both men, I no longer trusted either enough to turn my back on them.
“No, that’s not possible!” Kasa insisted.
“Not on that phone anyway.” Eric laughed manically.
“That’s how they knew where to attack.” I realised it made me feel sick.
“And with or without a contract my sister, will be safe in my pack, while yours becomes food.” Eric sneered at Kasa, still chuckling.
“I’LL KILL YOU!” Kasa screamed as he lunged at the traitorous snake.
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